Planning Project: 1 Year Staff Development Plan

Talissa Noriega

California State University Long Beach

May 8, 2021
Planning Project: 1 Year Staff Development Plan

I. Introduction

Cesar Chavez Middle School is a public middle school in the Tri-City Area of the
East Bay in California. In the last year, COVID-19 has immensely impacted the way
Cesar Chavez educators had to facilitate their instruction from the physical classroom to
an online learning environment. Resources such as Canvas, the new Learning
Management System (LMS) and engagement tools such as PearDeck, Nearpod, and
Jamboard were put into place to remedy the sudden change in educating students.

In recent years, technology in the classroom was being underutilized due to lack
of training and encouragement from the administration and district however, the
pandemic forced the hands of those in power and their teachers to quickly adapt and use
technology to support their online instruction. Due to the fact that staff had to learn how
to use technology tools in a short amount of time, it would be beneficial to dedicate
additional time for quality instruction on how to integrate technology in the classroom.
Specifically, when teachers step back into the classroom next school year, how can
teachers continue to utilize technology tools and continue to teach 21st century skills in
the physical classroom?

II. Goals

For the staff at Cesar Chavez Middle School, there are three professional
development goals that will be achieved by the end of the next school year. The goals
created were crafted with the purpose of providing teachers the necessary skills to
continue to implement educational technologies in the physical classroom and continue
to teach 21st century skills. It is imperative education consistently evolves with the
changing times with technology being at the forefront of the way the world functions and
communicates.

Goal 1: Teachers at Cesar Chavez Middle School will learn how to use educational
technologies such as PearDeck, Nearpod, and Jamboard.

● As educators, it’s important to stay up to date with the current times. Now,
technology is of importance and is proven to create high engagement from
students. Teachers should be experts in the technologies they use in the classroom
so they can determine its use according to the specific learners in their classroom
and to also use the technologies to its full potential.

Goal 2: Teachers at Cesar Chavez Middle School will create lessons for the physical
classroom using the educational technologies learned.

● As educators, providing meaningful learning experiences for students is a key

goal. One way to achieve this is with the support of educational technologies.
The educational technologies learned in goal 1 have been used in distance
learning and will continue to provide a virtual way to facilitate some lessons in
the physical classroom based on criteria. Developing a criteria is important to
Planning Project: 1 Year Staff Development Plan

ensure the mindfulness of screen time and determining the appropriate times
when and when not to be digital.

Goal 3: Teachers at Cesar Chavez Middle School will demonstrate to their students and
families how to use the technology tools available to prepare students and increase
communication between teachers and their students’ families.

● As educators, once they’ve developed the ability to learn the educational

technologies, it is important that their students and families are aware of how to
use these technologies. Students will interact with the education technologies in
the physical classroom with their classroom teachers guiding them through how to
use the technologies effectively. This will be followed up with the facilitation
lessons that were developed during training by their teachers or department.
Additionally, families will be supported in the learning of these technologies too
with the implementation of family technology nights. These family training
sessions will allow families to help their student(s) better at home while
encouraging families to be a part of their student’s learning.

III. Timeline

Throughout the course of the next year, each goal will be addressed a multitude of
times to ensure our staff has many opportunities to interact with and achieve the goal.
The start of the professional development will begin in August at the start of the school
year and run through the entire school year until June. Between professional
development sessions, staff members will gather with their departments to have monthly
collaborations dedicated to reflecting on their progress in the goals being worked
towards. The department heads will facilitate the meetings and summarize their
department’s insights. These insights will be shared during department head meetings
with administration.

To

Month Objective Goal

August Reflect on distance ● Goal 1: Teachers at

learning experience using Cesar Chavez
different educational Middle School will
technologies. learn how to use
educational
Demonstrate how to use technologies such
Jamboard as a way to as PearDeck,
engage students and Nearpod, and
encourage participation. Jamboard.

Teachers develop a way to ● Goal 2: Teachers at

use Jamboard at the Cesar Chavez
Planning Project: 1 Year Staff Development Plan

beginning of school. Middle School will

create lessons for
the physical
classroom using the
educational
technologies
learned.

September Demonstrate how to use ● Goal 1: Teachers at

PearDeck (an add-on on Cesar Chavez
Google slides). Middle School will
learn how to use
Teachers develop a lesson educational
to implement in the technologies such
classroom using PearDeck as PearDeck,
as the educational Nearpod, and
technology support. Jamboard.

● Goal 2: Teachers at
Cesar Chavez
Middle School will
create lessons for
the physical
classroom using the
educational
technologies
learned.

October Teachers implement the ● Goal 3: Teachers at

lessons in class and provide Cesar Chavez
evidence of student Middle School will
learning and engagement. demonstrate to their
students and
First session of family families how to use
technology night held. the technology tools
available to prepare
students and
increase
communication
between teachers
and their students’
families.

November Demonstrate how to use ● Goal 1: Teachers at

NearPod (can be embedded Cesar Chavez
on Canvas LMS). Middle School will
Planning Project: 1 Year Staff Development Plan

learn how to use

Teachers develop a lesson educational
to implement in the technologies such
classroom using NearPod as PearDeck,
through Canvas as the Nearpod, and
educational technology Jamboard.
support.
● Goal 2: Teachers at
Cesar Chavez
Middle School will
create lessons for
the physical
classroom using the
educational
technologies
learned.

December Teachers implement the ● Goal 2: Teachers at

lessons in class and provide Cesar Chavez
evidence of student Middle School will
learning and engagement. create lessons for
the physical
Second session of family classroom using the
technology night held. educational
technologies
learned.

● Goal 3: Teachers at
Cesar Chavez
Middle School will
demonstrate to their
students and
families how to use
the technology tools
available to prepare
students and
increase
communication
between teachers
and their students’
families.

January Teachers continue to ● Goal 2: Teachers at

implement the lessons in Cesar Chavez
class and provide evidence Middle School will
of student learning and create lessons for
Planning Project: 1 Year Staff Development Plan

engagement. the physical

classroom using the
educational
technologies
learned.

● Goal 3: Teachers at
Cesar Chavez
Middle School will
demonstrate to their
students and
families how to use
the technology tools
available to prepare
students and
increase
communication
between teachers
and their students’
families.

February Teachers share unique ● Goal 1: Teachers at

educational technologies Cesar Chavez
that they have positive Middle School will
experiences with to share learn how to use
with the entire staff. educational
technologies such
Teachers develop a lesson as PearDeck,
to implement in the Nearpod, and
classroom using the unique Jamboard.
technology tool.
● Goal 2: Teachers at
Cesar Chavez
Middle School will
create lessons for
the physical
classroom using the
educational
technologies
learned.

● Goal 3: Teachers at
Cesar Chavez
Middle School will
demonstrate to their
students and
Planning Project: 1 Year Staff Development Plan

families how to use

the technology tools
available to prepare
students and
increase
communication
between teachers
and their students’
families.

March Teachers share unique ● Goal 2: Teachers at

educational technologies Cesar Chavez
that they have positive Middle School will
experiences with to share create lessons for
with the entire staff. the physical
classroom using the
Teachers develop a lesson educational
to implement in the technologies
classroom using the unique learned.
technology tool.
● Goal 3: Teachers at
Third session of family Cesar Chavez
technology night held. Middle School will
demonstrate to their
students and
families how to use
the technology tools
available to prepare
students and
increase
communication
between teachers
and their students’
families.

April Teachers share unique ● Goal 3: Teachers at

educational technologies
that they have positive
experiences with to share
with the entire staff.
Teachers develop a lesson
to implement in the
classroom using the unique
technology tool.
Cesar Chavez
Middle School will
demonstrate to their
students and
families how to use
the technology tools
available to prepare
students and
increase
communication
Planning Project: 1 Year Staff Development Plan

between teachers
and their students’
families.

May Teachers share unique ● Goal 3: Teachers at

educational technologies Cesar Chavez
that they have positive Middle School will
experiences with to share demonstrate to their
with the entire staff. students and
families how to use
Teachers develop a lesson the technology tools
to implement in the available to prepare
classroom using the unique students and
technology tool. increase
communication
between teachers
and their students’
families.

June Teachers continue to ● Goal 3: Teachers at

implement the lessons and Cesar Chavez
utilize the technology tools Middle School will
that work best for their demonstrate to their
classes and provide students and
evidence of student families how to use
learning and engagement. the technology tools
available to prepare
Reflect on the year using students and
educational technologies in increase
the physical classroom. communication
between teachers
and their students’
families.

IV. Learning Objectives

In developing the objectives, the entire Cesar Chavez Middle School staff took a
survey at the end of the year to determine what variables were to be considered as
important to focus on the following school year. Variables that include: staff’s drive and
willingness to test their comfortability levels learning, using, and implementing new
technologies. Staff comfortability levels were shared using a Google Form to identify
how they feel, where they currently stand using educational technologies, and what their
personal goals are in regard to educational technologies. The results of the survey are
anonymous and available for viewing.
Planning Project: 1 Year Staff Development Plan

There are two learning objectives that will guide staff in achieving the goals listed
in the Timeline section of this plan.

1. Teachers of Cesar Chavez Middle School will utilize the educational technologies
and resources that are available to all students, families, and staff.

● Access to resources is at the most high importance and ensuring the

technologies to be learned are accessible to all parties is essential for
equity.

2. Teachers of Cesar Chavez Middle School use educational technologies as a tool to

support instruction to drive student engagement and academic achievement.

● While technology is extremely useful in instruction, it is important to be

mindful of the fact that technology is a tool and way to aid instruction.
Technology is not the end all be all.

V. Learning Activities

Throughout the school year, teachers will interact with the goals in a multitude of
ways. Mostly, staff will attend and participate in 2 hour whole staff meetings after
minimum days. During these meetings, professional development will be provided on
the specified educational technologies. Additionally, collaboration time will be provided
every other week for departments to meet. The productivity of these meetings will
include the development of lessons surrounding the use of the specified educational
technology for that month and will also serve as time for reflection with those in the
department. Furthermore, staff will be provided supplemental optional training with
available webinars and conferences that the site will gladly fund.

VI. Evaluation

The evaluation of staff progress of goals will occur during department

collaboration meetings where departments will reflect together in the effectiveness of
their lessons. All staff are given a Google Doc reflection sheet that will track their
progress in learning, using, and implementing the educational technologies.

Evaluation will also include peer evaluation where a peer will need to observe
another during a created lesson. This practice allows for the classroom teacher to have
another set of eyes on their instruction using the educational technologies. Afterwards,
the two individuals will reflect together by highlighting strengths and discuss next steps.

To conclude the evaluation at the end of the year, selected staff will present their
progress over the course of the year to the entire staff. This practice is being put into
place in hopes of the sharing of knowledge and continuing the motivation to implement
technologies the following year.
 Planning Project: 1 Year Staff Development Plan

VII. Budget

Each year, the head of each department meets with administration to discuss how
the budget will be spent for the following school year. It was established that the 2 hour
staff meetings that are held once or twice a month as part of the negotiation with the
school district and teacher union, will be mostly dedicated to the professional
development for educational technologies. However, if staff need to meet for more time
other than the allotted time that corresponds with their contract, the administration will
approve hourly pay.

VIII. Conclusion

Cesar Chavez Middle School is dedicated to having effective staff that are
lifelong learners willing and ready to provide the most meaningful experiences for the
students that attend our school. As times change, so does the instruction. It is important
to continuously learn so that the teachers at Cesar Chavez Middle School can consistently
improve and hone their craft.

With the endless amount of resources and educational technologies available,

teachers at Cesar Chavez Middle School will be conscious of using the resources that best
fit the needs of each of their students while also catering to helping students develop 21st
century skills. Having these sets of skills will take students one step further in their
future. The goals and objectives developed were created to build up both staff and
students alike, paving the way for resilient and competent individuals.